Switch-operating mechanism.



H. C. ARMUTH.

SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1. I916.

Patented'Nov. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

wjmaseeo H. C. ARMUTH.

SWITCH OPERATINGMECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-1.1916.

Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HENRY G. ARMUTI'I, OF COLUMBUS, INDIANA.

SWITCH-OPERATING- MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

Application filed March 1, 1916. Serial No. 81,512.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. ARMUTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Bartholomew and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Switch-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in railroad construction, and an object of the invention is to provide means for protecting railway switches from being tampered with or thrown by unauthorized persons.

In carrying out my invention I propose to produce a new mechanism for actuating the switch points between the main and side lines of a railroad, wherein the switch will be normally locked to open the main line and wherein the said switch after being thrown to open the siding and returned to the main line will be automatically locked in such latter position.

It is also my purpose to produce an apparatus of this character which maybe easily and quickly secured between the ties and applied to railway switches of any ordinary construction.

With the above and other objects in view the improvement resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the improvement,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view approximately on the line aa of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view approximately on the line bb of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view approximately on the line cc of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view showing the locking bolt thrown to hold the switch points against movement,

Fig. 6 is an approximately similar sectional view showing the position of the bolt with relation to the cam after the key has been operated to throw the bolt rearwardly to permit of the actuation of the switch,

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view in a line with the rack bar, and

Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view through the escutcheon plate.

In the drawings, A designates one of the rails of the main line, B a rail of the siding and a switch point arranged between the rails A and B. The points of the switch are connected by the usual bridle bar 1, the same having secured to the end thereof a link member 2. This link is in the nature of an ordinary rod having its ends enlarged and centrally slotted and the upper member at,

each of the said ends is formed with a sleeve 3. This sleeve has its inner bore coneshaped or beveled and communicates with central openings in the members comprising the ends of the said link. The opening in the lower member is threaded, and is adapted to receive the threaded shank of a bolt member 4. This bolt has its head preferably in the shape of a pentagon and is wholly received in the sleeve 3, the said bolt of course connecting the link with the bridle bar 1 and the arrangement of the head thereof in the sleeve will prevent the same being unscrewed except by a wrench of a special design, it being noted that the sides or faces of the head of the bolt are arranged in close proximity to the cone-shaped bore of the sleeve, the application of an ordinary wrench thereto will be prevented.

A similar bolt 5 passes through the outer end of the link 2 connecting the said link to a suitable actuating member in the nature of a rack bar 6 that is disposed for longitudinal movement in the switch stand 7 The switch stand preferably comprises a rectangular or box-like member and has its opposite sides formed or otherwise provided with outwardly extending shelves 8, and the upper faces of these shelves are provided with reinforcing ribs 9. The flat shelves are centrally formed with openings, each of which is adapted to receive a securing element, such as a spike 10, whereby the switch stand may be secured upon two of the ties 11 opposite the switch point C.

The rack bar 6 is arranged within a suitable housing 12 and is, of course, guided thereby. One of the sides of the housing is cut-away approximately centrally, as indicated by the numeral 13 so that the nontoothed end of the rack bar will be projected through the open side or cut-away portion of said housing. The housing rests upon the base plate 14 of the switch stand and the said base plate, at the referred to cut-away portion of the housing is provided with a socket or bearing member 15 which is adapted to receive one end of a vertically disposed throw rod 16. This throw rod has secured thereon a toothed wheel 17 which engages with the teeth of the rack bar 6, and it will be apparent that when the throw rod is rotated the rack bar will be moved longitudinally to more the switch C when the main line is to be opened to the siding or a main line closed to the siding.

The throw rod 16 passes through a suitable bearing opening in the top of the switch stand and this opening may and preferably is surrounded by a sleeve 18 which effects in steadying or providing a greater bearing for the said throw rod. The outer end of the throw rod which, of course, extends a suitable distance above the switch stand has secured thereto a laterally extending member 19 to which is pivotally connected the inner end of the throw lever 20.

Arranged upon the switch stand at diametrically opposite points, and in a line with the vertically disposed throw rod 16 is a pa r of U-shaped brackets 21 and 22 respectively. The throw lever is disposed to be swung between the arms of the bracket 21 when the switch is thrown to open the mainline and between the arms of the bracket 2 when the siding is open to the main line. One of the arms of each of the brackets 21 and 22 is extended above the other arm thereof and is formed with an outwardly extending angularly disposed ear 23, and each of these cars is bifurcated. Pivotally secured between each of the referred to cars 23 is weighted lever 24 having its inner end formed with a tongue or finger 25 which is disposed to overlie the throw lever when the same is received in the bracket, and he weighted lever 24 is provided with an opening disposed to be arranged below the ear S23 and to receive the shackle of a lock which will abut with the ear of the said bracket and consequently prevent the swinging of the weighted lever 24, and consequently lock the throw lever to either of the brackets.

The housing 12 upon its upper face is provided with an elongated slot 27 through which is extended an offset or pin member 28 that is formed with or secured to the upper face of the rack bar 6, 1 nd to this pin or lug is pivotally connected a link 29. the said link engaging with an offset member or ear 30 secured upon a vertically disposed rod 31. This rod is mounted in suitable bearings in the housing and projects through a suitable opening in the top of the housing, and this last mentioned opening is preferably surrounded by a sleeve 32 to steady and afford a greater bearing for the rod 31. The rod 31 has secured thereto a signal arm 33 and a suitable support or bracket having a signal lamp whereby the engineer of the train approaching the switch will be warned as to the position of the switch.

Secured to the throw rod 16' above the toothed wheel 17 is an eccentri'cally arranged wheel 34, the said wheel being formed with a peripheral notch 35, and this notch is arranged upon the face of the wheel farthest away from the throw rod 16. The notch 35 is adapted to serve as a keeper member for a spring pressed bolt 36. This bolt is arranged for longitudinal movement in and through one end of a casing 37 that is preferably secured to the underface of the top plate of the switch Stand 7. The belt, upon its underface, and at its out r corner is formed with a longitudinally extending notch or depression 38. the purpose of which will presently be set forth. Secured to the underface of the casing 3'7 :s at 39, a flat spring 40, and this iring projects a distance beyond the lock casing sufiicient to engage with what I will term the underface of the eccentric wheel The spring, adja cent its referred to outer end is provided with an angular. y disposed pin or finger 11, and this finger is normally arranged within a notch 12 in the lower and outer corner of the lock casing. The notch 42 is arranged in a line with the depression 38, so that when the bolt is retracted the linger ll will be antomatically moved to engage with the depression 3S, and so look the bolt in its retracted position. The inner referred to face of the eccentric wheel is cam-shaped, as indicated by the numeral #23, the thickness of the said wheelheing greatest at its point diametrically opposite tl at provided with the keeper notch and thus it will be noted that when too lock bolt has been retracted and the throw rod 16 rotated by the throw lever 20, the end of the spring will ride upon the cam surface 43 of the wheel 34 causing the finger 41 of the said spring to be brought out of the depression 38 in the bolt and permitting the spring A- of the said bolt to move the same in an outward direction to cause the end of the bolt to contact with the periphery of the wheel 3% and also to permit of said bolt being guided to within the keeper notch when the throw rod 16 has been returned to its initial position. or to a position wherein the switch is open to the main This is a vital and important feature of the in ention, as by such an arrangement it will be noted that the switch is not only normally locked to open the main line but is automatically looked after being thrown to open the siding and returned to close the siding and open the main line. i

The portion of the bolt within the lock casing 37 is provided with a notch 45, and the wall provided by the notch may be formed with spaced depressions of varying sizes and contours so that the bit 46 of a key 47 may be formed with similar depressions in order that the lock bolt can be actuated. Thekey 47 is adapted to be passed through a suitable keyopening e8. in the outer face of the switch stand, and this opening is normally closed by an escutcheon plate 49 that is actuated bv a spring 50. The plate 49 protects the interior of the lock casing as will be readily understood, and from the above description, taken in connection with the drawings the simplicity of the device and the advantages of the construction will be it is thought, apparent to those skilled in the art to which such invention appertains without further detailed description.

' Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

l. The combination with the main rails, the siding rails, the switch rails between the main and siding rails, the switch stand, the actuating bar in the switch stand and the link connection between the switch rails and the bar, of means for normally locking the bar, means for actuating the locking means to permit of the sliding of the bar in one direction, means for releasing the locking means when the bar is moved in the said direction to permit of the automatic locking of the bar when'the bar is moved in a reverse direction.

2. The combination with the main rails, the siding rails, the switch rails between the main and slding rails, an actuating rack bar, a rotatable operating rod, a toothed wheel upon the operating rod connected with the rack bar, an eccentrically arranged wheel upon the operating rod, a spring pressed bolt normally engaging in a peripheral notch in the eccentric wheel, means for actuating the bolt to retract the same, and a pivoted throw lever for the throw rod.

8. The combination with the main rails, the siding rails, the switch rails between the main and siding rails, the toothed actuating bar and the link connection between the said bar and the switch rails, of a revoluble throw rod, a toothed wl" eel upon the throw rod engaging with the teeth of the actuating bar, guide means for the toothed bar, an eccentric wheel upon the throw rod having a peripheral notch, a spring pressed bolt normally engaging with the notch, means for retracting the bolt, means for holding the bolt in such retracted position, and said eccentric wheel having a cam surface that contacts with said means to bring the same out of engagement with the bolt to permit of the sliding of the bolt by the spring means therefor, and a throw lever for the throw rod.

4. The combination with the main rails,

the siding rails, the switch rails, the toothed actuating bar and the link connection between the bar and the switch rails, of a revoluble throw rod, a toothed wheel" upon the throw 'rod co-acting with the teeth of the actuating bar, a wheel eccentrically secured to the throw rod and having a pcripheral notch at the point diametrically opposite the least eccentricity of the wheel, a spring pressed bolt normally received in the notch, means for retracting the bolt to permit of the turning of the throw rod, said wheel having a cam face, a spring member contacting with the cam face and having means to engage with the bolt to retain thesame in its retracted position and adapted to be actuated by the said cam to release the bolt to permit of said spring means therefor forcing the bolt into contact with the periphery of the said eccentrc wheel, and a throw lever for the throw rod.

5. The combination with the main rails, the siding rails, the switch rails between the main rails and the siding rails, the ties upon which the rails rest, and the link member connected with the switch rails and extending between two of the ties, of a switch stand having laterally extending shelves secured to two of the ties, a slidable rack bar in the switch stand and connected with the link, a vertically disposed throw rod journaled in bearings in the switch stand and extending thereabove, a toothed wheel upon the throw rod engaging with the teeth of the rack bar, the wheel eccentrically connected with the throw rod and having a peripheral notch, a lock casing secured in the switch stand, a spring pressed lock bolt passing through an opening in the casing and normally received in the notch of the eccentric wheel, a key member for retracting the bolt, said bolt having a longitudinal depression, a flat spring secured to the underface of the lockcasing and having a finger disposed to be received in the depression when the bolt is retracted, means provided upon the eccentric wheel and co-engaging with the spring for moving the same to bring its finger out of engagement with the depression in the bolt when the throw rod is rotated, and a throwlever for the throw rod.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY o. ARMUTI-I. Witnesses WM. J. KOERTH, BENNETT S. J ONES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

